This semester is doing its best to crush me, but I won't let it. I was ill last week, leading up to the weekend, and it caused me to get slightly behind on my work. That said, I was a little bit ahead before this, so I suppose things have just evened out. I still need to get caught up in Pragmatics and Love Poetry – those were the two classes I missed last week – and so right now I'm working through our second homework assignment for Pragmatics, which includes some interesting wordplay involving unicorns, and recreating a Sappho poem for my Love Poetry course.
Our assignment for Love Poetry is to take what fragments are left from a Sappho poem of our choosing from the Anne Carson translation I mentioned before, and 'fill in the blanks' as it were, recreating the poem as if it were written in Sappho's time. Currently I am struggling with this as I fight the urge to modernize the poem and as I try to find a voice not my own.
Speaking of poetry, I have recently undertaken a new project. I know, I know, I don't exactly need more things to keep me busy, but I have to have fun sometimes right? This side project can definitely be considered fun. When I was at Bread Loaf early in the summer I had the privilege of attending many panels and talks, as well as individual/small group meetings with various editors and agents. One of the people that I ended up talking to was Chad Post, who was there as a publisher/editor for Open Letter at the University of Rochester. In addition to publishing, Open Letter runs a weblog and international review source called Three Percent. After leaving Bread Loaf, I decided that I would sign up to write occasional reviews for Three Percent, and I received my first book today (October 4th) and so far I love it. It's a book of poetry, but I shan't say more than that here. Once I finish writing the review and it goes through editing I will be sure to post a link to it on this blog.
On the topic of editing, my work in the Student-Scholar Partnership is going well, and I continue to be very happy with this project. To have a paying job, part-time or no, that is in my desired field is an absolute dream for someone my age, and I'm very thankful for the opportunity.
Literary Translation is my dream, as readers of this blog may know, and as readers will also know, my thesis is centered around Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz and translations of her poems. At present I have scaled back the active translations as I am focusing a bit more on the content of my secondary source material for the critical introduction, although I of course work on bits and pieces when I have those rare spots of free time. I have an annotated bibliography of sources for my research seminar due next Monday, so I have also been working continuously on that.
Another research project that I am working on this semester is for my Pragmatics course. I'm still not entirely sure what I want to investigate yet; but our initial proposal (topic & research question, methodology idea, list of proposed papers) is due on the eleventh, so I'll have to come up with something soon.
Although I enjoy all of my courses and projects, I am developing a soft spot for my course on Ancient Greek. Learning this new (to me) language is a bit like solving a puzzle and slowly unwrapping a gift, and seeing all the pieces come together and getting a closer look at the prize is very enjoyable to me. When I am stressed out over bibliographies and papers and poems, untangling a sentence is oddly therapeutic.
Getting out all my thoughts on paper (or on screen I suppose) has a similar affect, so in a way I feel indebted to this blog for helping me process my strengths and weaknesses this semester. I hope you enjoyed this little peek into my mind.
Cheers,
Talia
Showing posts with label thankful. Show all posts
Showing posts with label thankful. Show all posts
Wednesday, October 4, 2017
Wednesday, May 17, 2017
Feeling Thankful
I received some exciting news yesterday. I have been admitted to the Master of Arts Program in Comparative Humanities (B.A./M.A. Program for Brandeis Undergraduates) for the 2018-2019 academic year. This is an amazing opportunity for me, and I am very excited for it. The fact that I got into a graduate school program before I finished undergrad is astonishing for me.
Honestly, I never thought I would get this far in life, but I have, and I'm happy here. Imposter Syndrome is real, and although I sometimes have it, I have also realized that I am qualified, and I can do the things that I aspire to. Now that I have come this far, I'm starting to think of ways to give back. I have had so much support from my family, friends, professors, colleagues and more. I know that I would not be here without them. As I look towards my future, I am considering the best ways that I can contribute to the community that I rose from, and how to help other communities grow. If anyone has suggestions, or knows about meaningful causes I'd like to hear about them.
The Weapon we have is love.
Cheers,
Talia
More about the program:
The BA/MA track of the Master of Arts Program in Comparative Humanities (MACH) allows current Brandeis undergraduates to begin the program and join the MACH community in their senior year. The program explores major themes of human experience using comparative and cross-cultural approaches. The program is a means by which to hone research interests, develop communication skills, and gain credentials for a professional career or further graduate studies. It provides opportunities for professional development, intellectual advancement, and preparation for doctoral studies.
Honestly, I never thought I would get this far in life, but I have, and I'm happy here. Imposter Syndrome is real, and although I sometimes have it, I have also realized that I am qualified, and I can do the things that I aspire to. Now that I have come this far, I'm starting to think of ways to give back. I have had so much support from my family, friends, professors, colleagues and more. I know that I would not be here without them. As I look towards my future, I am considering the best ways that I can contribute to the community that I rose from, and how to help other communities grow. If anyone has suggestions, or knows about meaningful causes I'd like to hear about them.
The Weapon we have is love.
Cheers,
Talia
More about the program:
The BA/MA track of the Master of Arts Program in Comparative Humanities (MACH) allows current Brandeis undergraduates to begin the program and join the MACH community in their senior year. The program explores major themes of human experience using comparative and cross-cultural approaches. The program is a means by which to hone research interests, develop communication skills, and gain credentials for a professional career or further graduate studies. It provides opportunities for professional development, intellectual advancement, and preparation for doctoral studies.
Sunday, April 30, 2017
Scribbles
When I find I have written something I am very proud of and have worked very hard on, my immediate impulse is to let someone scribble all over it. If there is anything I have learned in my 21 years of life, it is that the best things always come from collaboration.
In the past this has mostly been on resumes and essays, correcting grammar and formatting and things I may have missed. Where to expand, where to cut down, and here I should put a semicolon. With a creative process, it is something altogether different.
Some people might see scribbles on a page as a challenge, as something to fight against, that you have failed. But for me that is simply not true. Scribbles on the page are the secret ingredient to writing a good poem, essay or short story, or a translation of any of the above. Scribbles on the page show dedication to the topic. For me scribbles on a page are not a symbol of failure but a symbol of success. When I'm working on a project and someone takes the time out of their day to scribble all over my writing or translations I am so, so happy because it's a sign of care and dedication. It's recognition of the fact that what I am doing is hard, but I have people to support me in what I do, and for that I am very thankful.
I could have never gotten to where I am today without the assistance of the many people who have shaped my life, especially the ones that did so with scribbles.
In the past this has mostly been on resumes and essays, correcting grammar and formatting and things I may have missed. Where to expand, where to cut down, and here I should put a semicolon. With a creative process, it is something altogether different.
Some people might see scribbles on a page as a challenge, as something to fight against, that you have failed. But for me that is simply not true. Scribbles on the page are the secret ingredient to writing a good poem, essay or short story, or a translation of any of the above. Scribbles on the page show dedication to the topic. For me scribbles on a page are not a symbol of failure but a symbol of success. When I'm working on a project and someone takes the time out of their day to scribble all over my writing or translations I am so, so happy because it's a sign of care and dedication. It's recognition of the fact that what I am doing is hard, but I have people to support me in what I do, and for that I am very thankful.
I could have never gotten to where I am today without the assistance of the many people who have shaped my life, especially the ones that did so with scribbles.
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